Blog For Apples

Use Your AirPods as a Camera Remote

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:33:12 GMT

Have you ever wanted to activate the shutter button for your iPhone’s camera—for either a still photo or a video—when you’re not holding it? Selfie sticks often come with Bluetooth buttons that can do that, and starting in iOS 26, you also can use your AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro as a camera remote. While you’re wearing your AirPods, turn on the feature in Settings > AirPods > Camera Remote, where you can choose between triggering the shutter with a single press or a press and hold. Note that whichever option you turn on will override the usual actions for those triggers.

(Featured image by iStock.com/PeopleImages)

Use Fake Contacts to Improve Dictation Accuracy

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:30:31 GMT

Apple’s Dictation feature is a great way to avoid slow typing on the iPhone and iPad, and it can be welcome on the Mac as well. But it struggles with proper nouns—it guesses wildly at unfamiliar names and often fails to capitalize common words that are part of a name (so you get “New York Public library”). Apple doesn’t provide a user-editable dictionary, but there’s a backdoor solution: create entries in Contacts. When you create a fake contact for a troublesome word or phrase, Dictation learns to recognize it correctly across all your Apple devices. Put the word or phrase in the First Name field and add an emoji like 🙉 in the Last Name field so these fake contacts sort to the bottom of your Contacts list and don’t clutter the display. For stubborn words, you may need to train Dictation by dictating a few practice sentences in Notes and correcting mistakes when iOS offers alternatives. This trick works for place names, organization names, technical terms, or any word that Dictation consistently gets wrong.

(Featured image by iStock.com/Jacob Wackerhausen)

Safari’s Compact Tab Bar Returns in macOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Wed, 06 May 2026 02:08:50 GMT

Safari’s compact tab bar option, which saves vertical space by placing the address bar in the current tab, went missing in the initial releases of macOS 26 Tahoe and iPadOS 26. Only Apple knows why this helpful option disappeared (Liquid Glass?), but as of macOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, it’s back! On the Mac, select it in Safari > Settings > Tabs; on the iPad, look in Settings > Apps > Safari.

(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/czekma13)

Choose Default Apps for File Types in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Wed, 06 May 2026 02:06:25 GMT

On the Mac, every file type opens in a particular app by default, but it's easy to open a PDF, image, or text file in a different app. In the Finder’s Get Info window, you can also reset the default app so that, for example, JPEGs open in Photoshop or Affinity instead of Preview. That’s all now possible in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 as well. In the Files app on an iPhone or iPad, touch and hold a file to bring up a menu. Tap Open With, then select an app to open the file once in a different app without changing the default. To reset the default app for that file type, tap Get Info, then select an app from the Always Open With list.

(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/Tippapatt)

Intel-Based Apps Will Stop Working in macOS 28

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:03:30 GMT

Yes, we know we’re still on macOS 26. In 2025, Apple announced macOS 27 would be the last version to support Rosettafor most Intel-based apps. (Beyond that, Apple will maintain a subset of Rosetta functionality for older, unmaintained gaming titles.) This fact has become relevant because in the just-released macOS 26.4, when you launch apps that rely on Rosetta for Intel compatibility, macOS may start warning you that they won’t open in a future version of macOS. These warnings are just reminders—nothing will change until you upgrade to macOS 28, probably in late 2027 or 2028, giving you plenty of time to find replacements. To identify Intel-based apps now, open System Information from the Utilities folder in your Applications folder, select Applications in the sidebar, and click the Kind column header to sort all your Intel apps together. iMazing’s free Silicon app does the same thing with a nicer interface.

(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/Kurgenc)

Understanding New MacBook Battery Charging Features

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:48:03 GMT

The just-released macOS 26.4 Tahoe introduced two battery-related features for MacBook users, helping them understand and control MacBook charging. A Slow Charger indicator now appears in the battery status menu and in Battery settings when your Mac is connected to a charger that isn’t delivering the minimum recommended wattage. More significantly, a new Charge Limit feature lets you manually set a ceiling for what the Mac considers a full charge—between 80% and 100%.

These additions are the latest in Apple’s ongoing effort to extend battery lifespan. Understanding how these features work—and when to override them—can reduce frustration and help keep your MacBook battery healthy.

Why Apple Limits Charging

A battery’s lifespan depends on its “chemical age,” which is affected by charging patterns and temperature history. Lithium-ion batteries degrade faster when they spend extended time at full charge or when they generate excess heat during charging. As batteries chemically age, they hold less charge and deliver reduced performance.

Apple’s solution is to reduce the time batteries spend fully charged. This is particularly important for MacBooks that spend most of their time plugged into power at a desk—a scenario that would otherwise keep the battery at 100% and generate heat, both of which shorten battery life.

Optimized Battery Charging

Apple has rolled out optimized battery charging features on the Mac. The Optimized Battery Charging algorithm uses on-device machine learning to learn your daily charging routine, aiming to ensure your Mac is fully charged by the time you actually need to disconnect it from power and leave for the day.

If your MacBook spends most of its time plugged in at your desk, macOS may keep the battery at 80% and charge to full only when it predicts you’ll need to use it away from a power source. When Optimized Battery Charging is holding your battery at 80%, you’ll see Charging On Hold in the battery status menu. (The iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch have similar features that learn when you typically unplug and delay charging past 80% until shortly before that time.)

The New Charge Limit Feature

Charge Limit in macOS 26.4 takes a different approach. Rather than relying on machine learning to predict when you’ll need a full charge, it lets you explicitly set a maximum charge level. Your Mac will charge to within a few percentage points of your chosen limit, then stop. If the battery drops more than 5% while connected to power, charging resumes until it reaches the limit again.

To set a charge limit, go to System Settings > Battery, click the ⓘ next to Charging, and choose a limit between 80% and 100%. When the limit is active, the battery status menu shows Charged to X% Limit.

Using Charge Limit is ideal if your MacBook rarely leaves your desk. Setting an 80% limit reduces battery wear while ensuring you always have enough charge for brief periods away from power.

When You Need a Full Charge

What about when you want your MacBook’s battery to be at full strength for an unpredictable day away from power, such as for a long flight? You can override both Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit when you need maximum battery life:

For immediate needs: Click the battery icon in the menu bar and choose Charge to Full Now. Your Mac will charge to 100% regardless of current settings.
To disable limits temporarily: In System Settings > Battery, click the ⓘ next to Charging, turn off Optimized Battery Charging, and click the Turn Off Until Tomorrow button when prompted. Also set Charge Limit to 100%.
To disable limits permanently: Follow the same steps as the bullet above, but click the Turn Off button in the warning dialog instead. Also set Charge Limit to 100%. Remember, this will likely reduce your battery’s overall lifespan.

(Similar charging limits and workarounds also apply to the iPhone and Apple Watch. On the iPhone, go to Settings > Battery > Charging and turn off Optimized Battery Charging. For the Apple Watch, look in Settings > Battery > Battery Health on the watch itself.)

About That Slow Charger Warning

The new Slow Charger indicator helps explain why your MacBook might be charging slowly or even draining while in use. If the power adapter doesn’t deliver enough wattage for your Mac model, you’ll now see a warning in the battery menu and in System Settings > Battery.

You can check your current power adapter’s wattage by reading the fine print on the charger itself, or by opening the System Information app and checking the AC Charger section in the Power screen. It’s safe to use an adapter with a higher wattage than required, but don’t go below the wattage of Apple’s included adapters.

For optimal charging, use an adapter that delivers at least the minimum wattage recommended for your Mac:

MacBook Neo: 20 watts (no fast charging available)
13-inch MacBook Air: 30 or 35 watts standard, 67 watts for fast charging
15-inch MacBook Air: 35 watts standard, 70 watts for fast charging
14-inch MacBook Pro: 70 watts standard (or 96 watts for M4 Pro and M4 Max chips); 96 watts for fast charging
16-inch MacBook Pro: 140 watts for both standard and fast charging

Using your iPhone’s 20W charger with a MacBook Pro might technically work, but you’ll now be warned that it’s not delivering adequate power.

Finding the Right Balance

Apple’s battery optimization features represent a trade-off between immediate convenience and long-term battery health. For most users, leaving Optimized Battery Charging enabled makes sense—it learns your patterns and charges to full when needed. The new Charge Limit feature offers more explicit control for those who prefer it, particularly those whose MacBooks rarely leave the desk and can be locked at 80%.

If you frequently fight these features, you may have an unpredictable schedule that the algorithms can’t anticipate. In that case, consider turning off Optimized Battery Charging or setting a higher Charge Limit. Just remember that keeping your battery at 100% more often will shorten its lifespan—a trade-off that might be acceptable depending on how long you plan to keep your laptop.

(Featured image by iStock.com/shirophoto)

Apple Refreshes iPhone, iPad Air, and MacBook Lineups

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:58:17 GMT

Apple kicked off March 2026 with a flurry of product updates, refreshing its budget iPhone, mid-range iPad, and entire MacBook lineup. The announcements bring real upgrades across the board, with improved chips, faster storage, and better connectivity.

iPhone 17e Adds MagSafe

The iPhone 17e replaces last year’s iPhone 16e and maintains its $599 entry-level price. The most notable addition is MagSafe support—something conspicuously absent from its predecessor. The iPhone 17e now supports 15-watt MagSafe and Qi wireless charging, opening it up to the full ecosystem of MagSafe accessories.

Apple doubled the base storage to 256 GB and dropped the 512 GB price from $899 to $799. The new model runs on the A19 chip—the same processor powering the iPhone 17, though with one fewer GPU core. Apple’s C1X cellular modem promises up to twice the speed of the iPhone 16e’s C1 chip while using 30% less energy.

Other improvements include Ceramic Shield 2 for better scratch resistance, the next-generation portrait mode with post-capture focus and depth adjustments, and a new pink color option alongside black and white.

For users seeking the most affordable iPhone, the iPhone 17e is a solid value at $599 and a real improvement over the iPhone 16e. However, for $200 more, the base iPhone 17 offers a larger, brighter 6.3-inch screen, Camera Control, an additional Ultra Wide camera, better battery life, Always-On display with ProMotion, and Dynamic Island—making it the better choice for users who can stretch their budget.

iPad Air Gets M4 and More Memory

The updated iPad Air brings the M4 chip to Apple’s mid-range tablet while maintaining prices at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch version.

The M4 features an 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU, delivering up to 30% faster performance than the M3 version and up to 2.3x faster than M1 models. More significant is the increase in unified memory—the iPad Air now comes with 12 GB of RAM, 50% more than the previous generation’s 8 GB, and memory bandwidth has increased to 120 GB/s. These improvements particularly benefit AI workloads and demanding apps like Final Cut Pro and Pixelmator Pro.

Connectivity receives an upgrade with Apple’s N1 and C1X chips. The N1 wireless networking chip enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, while the C1X cellular modem in the Wi-Fi + Cellular models delivers up to 50% faster data performance with 30% lower energy consumption than the M3 model’s modem.

Starting storage remains at 128 GB, with options up to 1 TB. The iPad Air continues to be available in two sizes and four colors: blue, purple, starlight, and space gray.

The M4 iPad Air makes sense for users upgrading from pre-M1 iPads or anyone wanting a capable tablet without the premium price of the M5-based iPad Pro models, which start at $999 and $1,299.

MacBook Air Gains M5 and Doubles Storage

The MacBook Air receives the M5 chip along with doubled starting storage of 512 GB. The 13-inch model now starts at $1,099, and the 15-inch model at $1,299. Although those prices are the same as the previous generation’s 512 GB configurations, they’re $100 higher than the previous entry-level pricing to create a little more room between the MacBook Air and Apple’s new entry-level $599 MacBook Neo laptop.

The M5 chip features a 10-core CPU and 8-core or 10-core GPU, delivering 1.5x to 4x improvements over the M4 depending on the task. Memory bandwidth increases to 153 GB/s, enabling smoother multitasking and faster app launches. Storage configurations now include a 4 TB option for the first time in a MacBook Air, and the new SSDs deliver up to 2x the read/write performance of the M4 generation.

Apple has integrated its N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The MacBook Air continues to feature the 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe 3 charging, and up to 18 hours of battery life. It’s available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

The MacBook Air remains compelling for most laptop users. If you configure it comparably to the M5 14-inch MacBook Pro, it’s $400 cheaper, slightly smaller, and 26% lighter. Anyone limping along with an Intel-based Mac laptop will experience dramatic improvements if they upgrade to the M5 MacBook Air, and it’s also well worth considering an upgrade if an older M1 or M2 MacBook Air has started to feel slow.

MacBook Pro Introduces M5 Pro and M5 Max

The MacBook Pro gains significant performance upgrades with the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, along with doubled starting storage. For models with the M5 Pro chip, pricing starts at $2,199 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro and $2,699 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The M5 Max models start at $3,599 (14-inch) and $3,899 (16-inch).

The M5 Pro offers either a 15-core or 18-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU, now supporting up to 64 GB of unified memory with 307 GB/s bandwidth (up from the M4 Pro’s 48 GB ceiling). The M5 Max comes with an 18-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and supports up to 128 GB of unified memory with 614 GB/s bandwidth. Compared with the previous M4 Pro and M4 Max, Apple claims up to 30% faster multithreaded CPU performance for the M5 Pro and 15% faster for the M5 Max. Both chips also deliver 4x faster peak GPU performance, in part thanks to new Neural Accelerators built into every GPU core. Ray tracing performance improves by up to 35% compared to the previous generation of chips.

As with the other product refreshes, Apple doubled starting storage: M5 Pro models now start at 1 TB, while M5 Max models start at 2 TB. The new SSDs also deliver up to 2x faster read/write performance. Like the MacBook Air, all models gain the N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Otherwise, the MacBook Pro retains its premium hardware from the previous generation, including the Liquid Retina XDR display, three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI with 8K support, SDXC card slot, 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, and MagSafe 3 charging. Battery life remains up to 24 hours, and both sizes continue to be available in space black and silver.

For professionals pushing boundaries in motion design, visual effects, video editing, machine learning, and data-intensive workflows, these new MacBook Pro models offer real-world improvements that may justify an immediate upgrade from recent generations. Others with M3 or M4 Pro/Max machines may not see enough benefit to justify upgrading, but anyone on older hardware will appreciate the leap.

(Featured image by Apple)

How Does the New MacBook Neo Compare to the MacBook Air?

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:54:54 GMT

Apple has unveiled the MacBook Neo, a new entry-level laptop. With pricing starting at $599, a whopping $500 less than the MacBook Air, the MacBook Neo is positioned as an affordable computing option, particularly for families buying devices for K–12 students.

Despite its low price, the MacBook Neo is a Mac, so it works like any other modern Mac, complete with support for Apple Intelligence. A key question is how it compares to the MacBook Air, which Apple just updated with the M5 processor. Unsurprisingly, Apple made numerous compromises to hit the lower price point compared to the $1,099 13-inch MacBook Air. Those compromises may or may not make a difference for your intended usage.

Comparing the Specs

Let’s run through the MacBook Neo’s specs and see how it matches up to the MacBook Air:

A18 Pro chip: One of the main places Apple cut costs is by relying on an A18 Pro chip with 6 CPU cores and 5 GPU cores, previously used in 2024’s iPhone 16 Pro models. This is the first time Apple has used an iPhone-class chip in a Mac. For everyday tasks in a single app, performance is nearly comparable to the MacBook Air’s M5, which has 10 CPU cores and 8 or 10 GPU cores. However, the MacBook Neo will be significantly slower for multi-threaded tasks such as video editing, code compilation, or heavy multitasking.
8 GB unified memory: Another notable difference is that the MacBook Neo has only 8 GB of unified memory, whereas the MacBook Air starts at 16 GB and can be configured with 24 GB or 32 GB. Being limited to 8 GB means the MacBook Neo will struggle with memory-intensive tasks or running many apps at once, but that isn’t likely to be an issue with everyday Web browsing, email, and messaging.
256 GB or 512 GB storage: The base MacBook Neo has only 256 GB of storage, which may fill up quickly with photos, videos, and games. For $100 more, you can get 512 GB. In comparison, the MacBook Air starts with 512 GB and can be configured with 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB. You can always buy an external SSD to offload little-used data.
13.0-inch Liquid Retina display: The display is another significant difference. The MacBook Neo has a 13.0-inch display that shows slightly less content on screen than the MacBook Air’s 13.6-inch display—imagine losing about a half-inch of space vertically and horizontally. The MacBook Neo also lacks True Tone, which adjusts the display for ambient light conditions, and supports only sRGB color rather than Wide color (P3), so colors will be slightly less vibrant when viewing photos or videos, though this will be unnoticeable in most apps.
1080p FaceTime camera: The MacBook Neo’s webcam is several years behind the current 12-megapixel Center Stage camera that debuted with the M4 MacBook Air in 2025. It’s fine, but it is noticeably lower quality and lacks the Center Stage feature that keeps you in the frame as you move around. The MacBook Air’s camera also supports Desk View, which shows items underneath it, but that’s not a commonly used feature.
Two USB-C ports: Connectivity is another place where the MacBook Neo makes compromises. It offers two USB-C ports, but only the left one supports USB 3 at 10 gigabits per second; the right one supports only USB 2 at 480 megabits per second. You can use the left one for an external drive or a single 4K display; the right one is primarily useful for a keyboard, mouse, or printer. The MacBook Air, in comparison, has two 40 gigabits-per-second Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports up to two 6K displays. The MacBook Neo has to use one of its ports to charge, since it lacks the MagSafe charging port found on the MacBook Air.
Magic Keyboard: The $599 MacBook Neo has the same Magic Keyboard as the MacBook Air, but lacks keyboard backlighting for typing in the dark and Touch ID for authentication and Apple Pay support. Moving to the $699 model gets you Touch ID along with 512 GB of storage. All MacBook Air models have Touch ID, which is a convenience.
Multi-Touch Trackpad: The MacBook Neo uses Apple’s much older Multi-Touch trackpad with a physical click mechanism rather than pressure sensors and haptic click simulation in the MacBook Air’s Force Touch trackpad. Few people will miss Force Touch features like pressing deeply on a file in the Finder to open it in Quick Look.
Dual mics, dual speakers: For audio input and output, the MacBook Neo relies on a dual-mic array and a dual-speaker sound system. It will undoubtedly be fine, but it doesn’t match up to the MacBook Air’s three-mic array and four-speaker sound system. Both have 3.5 mm headphone jacks, or you can just use AirPods.
Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6: Although the MacBook Air has slightly newer Wi-Fi 7 support (both have Bluetooth 6), no one in the MacBook Neo’s target audience will notice the difference with Wi-Fi 6E. Few people have Wi-Fi 7 base stations yet anyway.
Battery life: Apple rates the MacBook Neo at 16 hours of video streaming and 11 hours of “wireless web” use, which qualifies it for “all-day” battery life. It’s respectable and probably sufficient for most situations, but well below the MacBook Air’s 18 and 15 hours on those benchmarks.
Size and weight: In terms of raw numbers, the MacBook Neo is slightly narrower and shallower than the MacBook Air—about a quarter of an inch— but essentially the same thickness (about half an inch) and weight (2.7 pounds). You wouldn’t notice the difference.

Who Should Consider the MacBook Neo

Apple is clearly aiming the MacBook Neo at specific audiences. Anyone working with a lot of apps at once, doing photo or video editing, playing high-end games, or using a bunch of peripherals will be better suited with the additional processing power, memory, and connectivity of the MacBook Air. And those with even more intensive workflows will gravitate to the MacBook Pro line.

But the MacBook Neo is meant to be a small, cute, and inexpensive laptop. It's entirely adequate for the kind of schoolwork that most K–12 students do: educational apps, online lessons, writing assignments, creating presentations, and conducting research. Its aluminum enclosure will withstand the rigors of daily student use, and the battery life should be sufficient for a full school day.

It would also be appropriate for budget-conscious adults with minimal computing needs. Many people do little more than browse the Web, check email, stream video, and use basic productivity apps. Those who spend most of their time in a handful of bundled Apple apps don’t need the performance of the MacBook Air.

However, we can’t recommend the MacBook Neo for most college students. Although it could handle basic word processing, Web browsing, and video streaming, college students can’t predict what they may need to do during their time in school, and it’s easy to imagine them needing to edit video, do data analysis, or work with 3D graphics. Plus, the limited port selection may be problematic for students needing to connect to external displays, storage drives, and other peripherals.

Although the same concerns apply to creative and business professionals, the MacBook Neo may be an economical travel laptop for someone who does most of their real work on a Mac mini or Mac Studio at the office. For keeping up with email, managing travel details on websites, and giving presentations, it should be more than sufficient and cheaper than most iPads with keyboards.

Pricing and Availability

The MacBook Neo costs $599 for the 256 GB model with Magic Keyboard (no Touch ID) or $699 for the 512 GB model with Touch ID. For the education market, pricing starts at $499. Both configurations are limited to 8 GB unified memory, and there are no other build-to-order options. It comes in four colors—silver, blush, citrus, and indigo—with color-coordinated keyboards.

(Featured image by Apple)

If Your iPhone’s Lock Screen Clock Is Too Transparent, You Can Fix It

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:32:27 GMT

One place where the Liquid Glass transparency in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 can be annoying is the time display on the Lock Screen. Liquid Glass tries—but often fails—to adjust the clock’s transparency so it’s readable over whatever photo you chose or the Photo Shuffle option displayed. Starting in iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, you can manually adjust the clock’s transparency: touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap the clock, tap Glass, and drag the Transparency slider (left and middle). If it's still not readable enough, you can switch to the previously available Solid view (right).

(Featured image by iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia)

Try macOS 26.2’s Edge Light for Low-Light Video Calls

joe@bfatechnologies.com (BFA Technologies, Inc.) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:29:17 GMT

We can’t always guarantee optimal lighting for video calls, especially when using laptops on the go. A new feature in macOS 26.2 Tahoe called Edge Light might help. It’s a video effect that uses the outermost pixels of your Mac’s display to create a bright white rectangle that illuminates your face during video calls. It acts like an on-screen ring light in low-light conditions. You can activate it from the green video camera icon in the menu bar (shown when the camera is active), and on Macs from 2024 and later, you can set it to turn on automatically in low-light environments. Click the disclosure triangle next to Edge Light to adjust the light’s width and color temperature. Mouse awareness allows the light to recede automatically when you move your pointer toward it. While Edge Light won’t replace external lights, it can help make your face visible in otherwise dark rooms.

(Featured image by iStock.com/Dima Berlin)